Iraq arrests officer and son at Baghdad airport over hospital contract probe

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi authorities detained a brigadier general and his son at Baghdad International Airport under an arrest warrant issued by the Federal Anti-Corruption Court prosecutor, a security source said. The detentions stem from a corruption investigation into a contract for the renovation, expansion and furnishing of Ristamiya Hospital, which falls under the Air Force Command. The Federal Integrity Commission said its field team reviewing Defense Ministry contracts carried out the operation with the support of the Rapid Response Forces. According to the commission, investigators identified financial and administrative corruption in a contract worth roughly 92.883 billion dinars signed between the Military Construction Directorate and a foreign company. The probe found that the tender was awarded directly, without competitive pricing, and that numerous line items showed marked inflation along with multiple changes that raised the estimated cost, the commission said. Arrest warrants were also issued against a colonel, an officer holding the rank of colonel and five engineers from the Military Construction Directorate. The commission said the case file has been referred to the competent investigative judge under Article 340 of the Penal Code, and that proceedings to determine the fate of the suspects remain ongoing.